Second Year

Area Comprehensive Qualifying Examination (CQE)

Successful completion of the first phase requires passing the Area Comprehensive Qualifying Examination (CQE) to proceed to the second phase of programme. In the second phase participants undertake thesis research work with a Research Advisory Committee (RAC) which comprises three faculty members. The RAC Chair must be from the chosen area.

Visits to the Campus

From the second year onwards till submission of the draft thesis, the participants are expected to make regular visits. A minimum of four days of visit in a quarter is mandated. However, the participant/RAC has the flexibility to convert the quarterly mandated visits into a single visit every semester.

Main Research Problem

From the second year onwards, after satisfactory completion of the CQE, the participant will start working on the main research problem of the PhD thesis. The participant must submit a progress report forwarded by the RAC chairperson during the registration each term.

Third Year Onwards

The participant should present an Open Proposal Seminar on the research problem. The participant is also expected to work towards presenting a paper at a conference and/or making one publication.

The participant will present the draft thesis in an open seminar, called Pre-submission Seminar, after the RAC clears the draft for the same. Thesis will be modified based on comments received from the RAC and the audience of the seminar. The duly modified draft thesis may be submitted for evaluation.